Paint striper



March 3, 1964 LITTLE 3,122,773

PAINT STRIPER Filed Jan. 8, 1963 6 IN VENTOR.

Arraevaxs.

United States Patent Office 3,122,773 Patented Mar. 3, 1964 3,122,773 PAINT STRIPER Roy B. Little, Box 2341 Abilene, Tex. Filed Jan. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 250,048 2 Claims. (31. 15-503) This invention relates to a paint striper and has as its primary object the provision of an improved apparatus for painting stripes on pavements, roadways, parking lots or similar spaces where it is desirable to have stripes for marking purposes.

An additional important object of the invention is the provision of an improved striper characterized by a clear well-defined evenly distributed line, an improved means for smoothing and evening the painted line.

A further important object of the invention is the provision of a connected handle and striper so arranged that under certain positions of adjustment the striping valve will be closed, and under other conditions of adjustment the striping head will be lifted completely from the road surface.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of such a paint striper which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efiicient in operation, relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and which can be easily and expeditiously handled by a single individual.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter and shown in the accompanying drawing wherein there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of one form of paint striper constructed in accordance with the instant invention, certain alternative positions of adjustment being indicated in dotted lines.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged bottom plan view of a portion of the mechanism taken substantially along the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIGURE 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of FIGURE 3 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail, the device of the instant invention is generally indicated at and comprises a mobile frame portion which includes an angle iron 11 having portions extending substantially at right an les to each other from one portion of which a pair of uprights 12 extend upwardly to a plate 13, to which is bolted as by means of bolts 14 a handle 15. Handle 15 is bent at right angles as at 16, and provided at its extremity with a rubber hand grip 17.

A plate 18 extends forwardly from the other portion of angle iron 11, and an axle 19 is welded to the rear of angle iron 11 and carries at its extremities rubber tired wheels 20 secured in position by washers 21 and cotter pins 22 on opposite sides thereof adjacent the extremities of the axle.

A sleeve 25 is rigidly secured to the underside of angle iron 11, and rotatably mounts the bight 26 of a U-shaped horizontal support 27, the extremities of the ends of which are welded as at 28 to an inverted U-shaped shield 29 having a bight 3t? and depending skirtlike side portions 31.

A pressurized paint containing tank 32 seats on plate 18, and rests along uprights 12 being secured in position as by means of a spring wire 23 which extends therearound and has its ends suitably secured to or engaged in openings in uprights 12. Tank 32 is provided with the usual fitting 34 from which a tube 35 extends through a valve member 36 to an L-shaped pipe 37, one leg of which extends through an opening in the bight 30 of the paint shield and terminates in a nozzle 38, secured in position by a lock nut 39.

Valve 35 is opened and closed by means of a valve actuating lever 4% which depends rearwardly of the shield 29, and is connected at its extremity to a flexible operating rod 41. Operating rod 41 extends upwardly about sleeve 25 and includes an adjusting sleeve 42 with a clamping nut 43 for eifectively adjusting the length thereof. The other end of rod 41 is connected to a link 44 which is pivoted as on a pivot 45 adjacent the handle grip 17, so that pressure exerted thereagainst by the hand holding the grip 17 will serve to open the valve, and releasing the pressure will permit the valve to close automatically.

A paint spreading and diffusing mechanism is provided in the shield 29 and includes a transverse shaft 46 upon which are loosely mounted a plurality of discs 47 having relatively large openings 43 therein surrounding the shaft 46 so that a loose wobbling motion may be effected as the discs, in contact with the ground surface G, are rotated by the forward passage of the apparatus. This wobbling eflect serves to diffuse evenly the paint sprayed from the nozzle 38 and confined by the side shields 31 which are in abutting engagement with the ground to effectuate a diffusion of the paint of the stripe to provide a smooth, even top surface.

A flexible chain 50 is connected at one end 51 to the end of plate 18, and at its other end engaged in an opening 52 in the bight of shield 299. The chain is of such a length that when the device is in the position shown in FIGURE 1 in full lines, a certain amount of slack is provided, so that the shield 29 and its associated nozzle 38 will be in position to effectuate a paint stripe on the ground. When the handle 16 is tilted to the vertical position indicated at 16a, in dotted lines, the flexible cord or shaft 41 is of suflicient length so that slack is provided, which automatically effectuates the closing of the valve 36. Conversely, when the device is tilted to the position indicated in dotted lines at 1612, the slack in chain 50 is taken up so that the forward end includnig the shield 29 is lifted or raised, and the device may be readily transported on its wheels 20.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved paint striper which accom plishes all of the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a paint striper, the combination of a frame including portions extending substantially at right angles to each other, a handle means secured to one of said portions, a plate secured to the other of said portions, an axle adjacent the meeting of said portions on said frame, supporting wheels carried by said axle, a U-shaped member having two legs and a bight portion, said bight portion being pivotally secured to said frame adjacent said axle, an inverted U-shaped shield having two side members and a connecting portion and being secured to the ends of said legs of said U-shaped member remote from said bight portion, a paint nozzle extending into said shield, a pressurized tank carried by said frame and said plate, a hose connecting said nozzle to said tank, a valve operatively connected adjacent said nozzle, a valve control arm on said valve, a flexible cable connecting said arm to said handle means, said cable being of a length to close said valve automatically when said handle means is moved-to a position substantially perpendicular to a ground surface supporting said frame, a chain means secured between said plate and said connecting portion of said shield, said chain means being of a length which, when said handle means is tilted below normal operating position, will lift said shield from the ground surface, and a paint spreader carried by said shield.

2. A structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said paint spreader includes a transversely arranged shaft disposed within said shield behind said nozzle, a plurality of discs loosely mounted on said shaft in side by side abutting relationship, said discs having their mounting openings of diameters greater than that of the diameter of said shaft so as to effect a Wobbling movement when rotated by contact with the ground surface responsive to rolling movement of said frame on the ground surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,818,916 Wasen Augv 11, 1931 2,778,046 Fisher Jan. 22, 1957 3,052,909 Russell Sept. 11, 1-962 

1. IN A PAINT STRIPER, THE COMBINATION OF A FRAME INCLUDING PORTIONS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER, A HANDLE MEANS SECURED TO ONE OF SAID PORTIONS, A PLATE SECURED TO THE OTHER OF SAID PORTIONS, AN AXLE ADJACENT THE MEETING OF SAID PORTIONS ON SAID FRAME, SUPPORTING WHEELS CARRIED BY SAID AXLE, A U-SHAPED MEMBER HAVING TWO LEGS AND A BIGHT PORTION, SAID BIGHT PORTION BEING PIVOTALLY SECURED TO SAID FRAME ADJACENT SAID AXLE, AN INVERTED U-SHAPED SHIELD HAVING TWO SIDE MEMBERS AND A CONNECTING PORTION AND BEING SECURED TO THE ENDS OF SAID LEGS OF SAID U-SHAPED MEMBER REMOTE FROM SAID BIGHT PORTION, A PAINT NOZZLE EXTENDING INTO SAID SHIELD, A PRESSURIZED TANK CARRIED BY SAID FRAME AND SAID PLATE, A HOSE CONNECTING SAID NOZZLE TO SAID TANK, A VALVE OPERATIVELY CONNECTED ADJACENT SAID NOZZLE, A VALVE CONTROL ARM ON SAID VALVE, A FLEXIBLE CABLE CONNECTING SAID ARM TO SAID HANDLE MEANS, SAID CABLE BEING OF A LENGTH TO CLOSE SAID VALVE AUTOMATICALLY WHEN SAID HANDLE MEANS IS MOVED TO A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO A GROUND SURFACE SUPPORTING SAID FRAME, A CHAIN MEANS SECURED BETWEEN SAID PLATE AND SAID CONNECTING PORTION OF SAID SHIELD, SAID CHAIN MEANS BEING OF A LENGTH WHICH, WHEN SAID HANDLE MEANS IS TILTED BELOW NORMAL OPERATING POSITION, WILL LIFT SAID SHIELD FROM THE GROUND SURFACE, AND A PAINT SPREADER CARRIED BY SAID SHIELD. 